Dwarf perennial herb with several stems arising from a subterranaean tuberous rootstock; stems erect, 10–45 cm tall, thickly white-tomentose, ± glabrescent, often also with usually dark-coloured glandular setae.. Leaves cauline or all ± basal, sessile, ovate, oblanceolate, obovate or elliptic, 3–15 cm long, 1–5.5 cm wide, rounded to cuneate and narrowed to a usually expanded, auriculate and semi-amplexicaul base, finely often obscurely and/or remotely serrulate or denticulate, rarely serrate, rounded to acute, shortly acuminate-apiculate, whitish or greyish tomentose beneath, at first ± araneose-tomentose, usually glabrescent and often scattered-setulose above.. Capitula radiate, usually solitary on the leafy stems or precocious on short stems bearing only reduced bract-like leaves, on short 1–2-bracteate stalks; involucre subglobose to campanulate-cylindrical, at first ± araneose, glabrescent, greenish, 10–20 mm long; phyllaries ± 20–40, 3–5-seriate, subequal or often with the outermost exceeding the inner, the longest 11–22 mm long, lanceolate, subentire or marginally laciniate-dentate with sometimes slightly expanded apex; receptacle scales lanceolate, narrowly triangular or oblong, with laciniate-dentate sometimes slightly expanded ± acuminate apices, 12–15 mm long.. Ray florets 5–16, female-sterile; corolla 22–37 mm long, rays bright scarlet to deep dull red, broadly oblong or oblanceolate-oblong, apically shortly to deeply 3-toothed, 14–30 mm long; disc florets ± 30–60; corolla like the rays in colour, (9.5–)14–17.5 mm long, lobes narrowly oblong, (3.5–)5–6 mm long.. Capitula nodding in fruit; achenes finely puberulous, 7–8 mm long; pappus bristles apically narrowed, acute, (5.5–)7–11 mm long.
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